The Great Picture Hanger Uppers

One of the great dilemmas in our house is what to do with our children's amazing artwork. The customary location to showcase a young-one's masterpiece, the fridge, does not work. First, the front of our refrigerator does not hold magnets and thus papers require tape. This is messy and problematic... small kids and tape are just not compatible. Also, mom has a problem covering the fridge with papers- the side is covered with photos and cards from our family members, but the front? A lot of cooking takes place in this kitchen and it NEEDS to be clean. Papers on the fridge are just asking to harbor germs! (I can't get past it, sorry.) Thus, we needed a place where kids could hang up their drawings and school projects.

I pondered the problem greatly. My first idea was to hang up a string in the hallway and let them use clothes pins to hold up their works. Allowing THEM the chance to hang up their projects was important. I worried about this plan, however, as a mother of boys... a supply of clothes pins hanging within their reach screams trouble.

Then, one day at Wal*Mart, I came across THIS new product:

Tape strips that can be used over and over and over again? It states on the package that if, for some reason, the strips lose their stick all you have to do is wash it and let it dry. Really!?!

Um, awesome!

I bought a pack and brought them home. The spoil-sport that I am did not rush right into sticking them on my walls and allowing kids to play with them, I read up on some reviews and learned that most people were really happy with the results. One person had a problem with some paint... but the overall reviews were positive.

Then, I had an idea of my own! Why not combine my first idea of using cloths pins AND the new awesome tape substance? That way the kids were not using the fancy sticky tape when/where ever they wanted (again, that could be expensive and dangerous with small children). However, If I were to 'permanently' stick the paper holding devices in various locations- the kids could hang up and change their displays at will. If needed, I could move the location in the future. Yay!

This is what we came up with:

You can see the 'tape' behind the pin.

Art work is hung!

A row of pins, to showcase all the art! (there is another row on the other side as well.)

So far, so good. The kids love having their pictures hung up. They LOVE being able to change them as they want and mom LOVES the fact that they are not falling off the fridge door and kids are not always searching for the tape stash. They just aren't old enough to work it. lol

Cat in the Hat Treats

 Crafting is an obsession of mine. I LOVE to make things... Food is also a bit of an obsession. I LOVE eating things. Combining the two is not only a fulfilling hobby, it can become a medium of art work that can inspire and thrill people to new levels.

Part of the thrill comes from understanding ones audience. Creating a dish for my husband is far different than creating one for my children. My husband appreciates food with deep flavors and can be awed by the food's appearance in a more natural form. This is not always true for my children... they appreciate a more crafted appearance that focuses less on the taste and more on the look of the food. Of course they enjoy a decadent dish, but let's face it- they get pretty excited about mac-n-cheese from a box as well, so long as it has Spongebob or Scooby characters.


Crafting a dish for a child is more about inviting their eyes to the party, bringing something from outside the kitchen that THEY appreciate. Thematic treats or colors that are not completely 'natural'. These are all ways to thrill them and their senses- and a really crafty mom can do this while introducing them to new flavors and better for them recipes. It's all in how you go about crafting the dish.

Classroom treats are one of my favorite ways to showcase delicious goodies. Children are delighted to eat sugary snacks, but are so fun to watch as their eyes light up upon seeing a new looking dish crafted in a way that captivates their imaginations. The joy it brings them, is worth all the time preparing them. And, let's face it- that's why crafters craft! We WANT people to see our creations and be excited by them, no matter how big or small the item... that is the reason for making them.

Last year, for my daughter's first grade class, I made a treat to celebrate Dr. Seuss' birthday. It was simple and yet VERY memorable. A winner in my (and their) eyes.

I started with my FAVORITE graham cracker recipe from Weelicious. An awesome source for simple and kid approved recipes. I've manipulated this recipe so many times to meet my needs- it is the best! For this treat, however, I left it as-is and used a small circle shaped cookie cutter to create enough hat bases as I needed. I had plenty of dough left over and I just cut out bigger crackers for my kids to eat later- no worries, they are quickly devoured around here.

While the graham crackers are cooking/cooling, I painted my marshmallows. Using a food approved paintbrush (I keep mine with my cake decorating supplies... truthfully, I purchase the green Wilton brushes because they are a specific color and have Wilton printed on them. I cannot 'accidentally' misplace or misuse them.)

To make the 'paint' I simply add a few drops of food coloring to a bit of Caro Syrup. Some people are against corn syrup- but it is all about moderation. Paint the tops and a few stripes. If you have trouble holding onto the marshmallow while painting them, pop them onto a kabob skewer! (Be sure not to go all the way through.)

After the crackers are cool, I dipped each one in white chocolate and placed them on my cookie rack to harden. After dipping, place one big marshmallow upon the melted chocolate- the chocolate will 'glue' the marshmallow onto the cracker.

Simple to make.
Fun to look at.
Educational?

It's all how you look at it!

Being Strong

One would assume that being told you are a 'strong person' would qualify as a compliment. However, most people may not realize that the sheer need to state this opinion implies that the person has to stand firm and press forward in life, even when they may not want to. Being a strong person is not something they want to be, but have to be. Thus, the idea is not a compliment but rather a reminder of the struggle.

Of course the words are said with support and best intentions and are to be taken with gratitude and love... it takes a strong person to accept it as such, and thus- brings us back to the original point. A hidden secret, at the point the person is being told they are strong- inside, they want to cry.

Strong people are weak as well. They cry, they need and they want. Understanding your weakness and knowing how to work around it is what gives the appearance of being strong and courageous. Knowing that there are people with struggles bigger and scarier than your own puts life into perspective, and no matter how much you might want to crawl away and hide- life has to move forward. Hiding from life only diminishes the more difficult struggles others have to face. If they can walk forward and live each day, there is no reason why we cannot either.

Faith in oneself and in ones life is what really makes a difference. Understanding that no matter what struggles lay in front of you- there is something and/or someone there to walk towards. Some people choose religion, others choose a goal or a cause- to give their life a purpose with meaning. Still others put their faith in others, special someone(s) that give life its purpose and meaning.

Whether it is one special someone or 4 perfect people... those special people make life worth living. They make every day worth getting up for, though albeit slowly. They make feeling tired and sick manageable. Their faces, their arms and their love is what makes the world go 'round. The sun rises and falls every day on their beings... and when they are not close by, the hold they leave behind seems endless. It doesn't matter if they are gone for minutes or weeks, when you build your life's purpose around them- it becomes off kilter when your world is not whole. It's a dangerous system for someone who is pretending to be strong- but worth it.

Every minute of every day is worth it when it revolves around them. And no matter the difficulty and no matter the struggle, ensuring their world is how it should be- makes whatever test is offered a simple one. And a happy one. Pretending to be strong and graciously accepting the compliment has meaning. The secret is tucked away where it should be. The smile is reapplied and one foot moves in front of the other... happiness is found when you look for it. Struggles are an every day thing, as is happiness. There is only room for one to be the leader.

:-)

Fairy Tea Party Invitations

My daughter recently turned 7, and like her mother, got a little crazy in her ideas as to what she wanted to happen. I felt a twinge of pride as she told me her birthday party 'vision' and yet cringed at the monster I knew that I was responsible for creating. We had a lot of fun planning, and I had a lot of work to do to fulfill her wishes. It was a lot of fun, a lot of crafting, and lots of great blogging ideas to share.

To begin with, we needed to invite her friends to the party. We needed something special in order to set the pace for the rest of the event. It was going to be girly, full of fairies and a beautiful good time. We chose two different prints of 12x12 scrapbook paper, one a splotched design of darker pink and the other a white paper with light pink ribbons running through the paper. The wonderful thing about 12x12 sheets of scrapbook paper is that they come in an array of colors, textures and prints. You can fall in love with a piece of paper, and craft around it as the main eye catching work of art. This is what we chose to do, let the paper do most of the work for us!

We began by cutting the paper into 12"x6" pieces. This gave us 2 cards per piece of paper. A 6"x6" piece of white card-stock and a 24" piece of coordinating ribbon were also used to create the base card.

 

To create the opening doors of the front, fold the sides inward so they meet at the center. If your paper is cut properly, this should be 3 inches from both sides.

Most scrapbook paper is not thick enough to hold itself up as a card, and requires a bit of help to strengthen it. On the inside, I used a glue stick to affix a 6"x6" piece of white card-stock. No need to put card-stock on the front flaps, that could make it too heavy or bulky to work with. A simple square will do the trick. Choose a color that will enhance the scrapbook paper. I kept it white, because it looked best overall.

 

Mark a line centered along the entire length of the card, should be 3" from both top and bottom. Carefully erase the line roughly .5" from the center folds. You will run a very thin line of glue along this line, but in order for it to tie correctly it has to have a bit of room at the end or it will rip.

When the glue is completely dry, you should be able to tie the ribbon while it remains in place.

Because we decided to let the paper we chose be our overall focus, the ribbon color was chosen to enhance its design. This also meant that we were free to embellish our paper, but didn't need to go overboard. It was time to highlight the theme of our card, and create a sense of our 'fairy' themed tea party that was being announced.

We began embellishing with simple sparkly rhinestones at opposing corners.

We added a butterfly, cut from a contrasting color and pattern. The body was embellished with black puff paint, to give it depth, and the antenna's were drawn onto the paper using a black fine-tip pen. Opposite the butterfly, we formally 'invited' the guests to the party. The words, You're Invited, were printed on a matching piece of card-stock and framed by a contrasting color. In this case, we chose a matching cream because it was similar to that of the faint design printed on the paper, and the contrasting white was also used inside the card. When the ribbon was tied closed, the card appeared as it would in its finished state.

Opening the card would reveal the actual invitation inside,

The invitation inside used a fun poem found from the web which fit perfectly for our use. We gave the important details, as to the time and place. It was printed onto cream colored tracing paper, printed out and trimmed to fit.

Overall, the cards took only a few minutes each to assemble (minus glueing time for the ribbon, be certain to allow time for the ribbon to dry.) We first created each card to the point of allowing the ribbon to dry, then moved on to working on the printer. Once we assembled the outside invite and the internal invitation, all ribbons were ready to move onto the next step.

Thus, we had beautiful hand crafted party invitations... the first step in creating a wonderful fairy tea party.

Counting Down the Days...

In a religious setting, the Advent Calendar begins on the first day of Advent, which changes from year to year based upon the liturgical calendar. It can begin as early as November 27th and as late as December 3rd. It celebrates the first four weekends prior to Christmas, the time of anticipation and preparation of the birth of Christ. This year, Advent began on November 29th.

Most commercial Advent Calendars forgo the change of date and begin on December 1st and last until December 24th. They are the most fun for small children and help them keep track of the time until Santa brings them presents. As a mother of young children, I understand that the holiday season can be a bit overwhelming for our smallest friends. They see the decorations and the anticipation of it all can be too much. It can also seem to drag on forever... though for us, it's gone in a blink of an eye.

Giving children something special and tangible is a great way to keep them eager, involved and moving along. We have a special Advent calendar that my father gave to our family just last year (we got to replace the cheap one I bought years ago.) It is special as it is the same calendar I used as a child and it brings back many memories. I always wanted to make my own, in my true fashion, but never did. I guess it was fate that we adopted this one instead.

I like to cut small pieces of paper and insert them into various dates throughout the month to let the kids see what is coming up, it helps break up the month and give them little things to look forward to as they wait for "the big day." I also create the ever so popular, Candy Chain. I pull out 24 baggies, or cut 24 squares of plastic wrap and fill it with chocolates. I have three kids, so each baggie/wrap gets 3 pieces (of the same thing, of course). I tie them to some ribbon and hang them up around the Advent Calendar. Each night, we get to cut off one of the baggies and eat the chocolates as we move our Christmas Mouse to the next day and discuss what is coming up next.

There are many possibilities to incorporate into the Advent Calendar idea... you can note songs, poems or biblical verses each night- incorporate a Jesse Tree into the idea and discuss biblical characters. The main idea is that our children become involved and are not just waiting for something so far off into the future that it becomes overwhelming... because too much stress really has a way of taking the fun out of the whole idea of it being, The most wonderful time of the year.

Solving The Great Dinner Problem...

I've been asked to write about my menu planner by multiple people... though I was not certain that I should actually divulge my awesome secrets (insanity, be be more specific) I did realize that it might benefit other similarly crazy people out there.

To understand my process, it is important to understand its history. When my husband and I first shared an apartment, we were in college, thus our income was almost nothing. One thing we had going for us was the fact that we enjoyed eating at home and we enjoyed eating foods that were rather cheap. As our family grew our need to eat healthier increased, but our monetary supplies did not increase as would have been helpful. I learned by necessity how to cook healthy homemade meals using a very limited means of money. This has really shaped by shopping brain and has solidified my basis as to how I cook today. In truth, because we struggled early on- we learned how to manage ourselves in such a manner that we still eat well and shop within our means today.

I do openly admit that because of job changes, our income is very different than it was when we first started out and I do spend quite a bit more on food, because I can. However, I still spend MUCH less than many people I know and we eat very well. The most important factor in saving money when shopping and menu planning is the PLANNING portion. Knowing exactly how much you need and how to share materials amongst meals is a necessity.

When you have a fully stocked kitchen and a specific menu in place, most of your problems are removed when it comes to frivolous food spending. Please note, fully stocked does not necessarily mean FULL. It means, you have what you need to cook the foods on your menu. Also, this means you have taken into account breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack foods in between. If you are hungry and looking for food, if you cannot satisfy this craving- you're in trouble. You'll spend. If you do not know what you are going to make for dinner or have a set plan for meals, then food is used vicariously and not there for other meals. Most often ALL of these problems are fixed by running to the store or heading out to eat. Both costly solutions.

To begin: Create a menu. Not just for the week... broaden your horizons. My menu plan is set for 6 weeks. I shop every 2 weeks, thus I have a 2 week rotating plan. This works marvelously because we do not ever eat the same meal twice in a six week period of time. This seems like a daunting task to begin with, but really it can be fun. Sit down with your family and ask what dinners they love best. Instantly, everyone has already contributed and everyone's favorites are included.

Ponder your cookbooks for ideas... not necessarily for new meal ideas (not that this is a bad idea, hint hint) but for things that you may have forgotten. We all come across meals that we love but tend to forget about. We mean to make them, but are filed away... and we get stuck in a dinner rut- eating the same foods time and time again. This is your chance to pull yourself out of the rut- pull up old ideas and integrate new ones. If you are going to make a 6 week plan, you need 42 meals.This may seem like a lot, but when you really start listing out meals you know and love... it is far easier than you'll realize.

Once you have a list of your meals, take a look at them individually. What do you serve with them? Think of side dishes, vegetables and breads that you enjoy. Make a separate list of vegetable you love and incorporate them into your meal plan. Treasures such as deviled eggs, potato salad and asparagus do not have to be brought out for special occasions only... integrate them into your plan. Once you have them noted, you'll be able to shop accordingly and enjoy them regularly.

With your meals planned and balanced, it is time to organize. I used MS Word to print my meals off on 1.5"x1.5" squares... the complete meals! I noted the main dish, the side, the vegetable and the bread if applicable. I printed all 42 meals and cut them out. I carefully arranged them into 1 week groupings. This ensures that I do not have an entire weeks worth of eating Italian dishes. I also carefully planned more expensive meals, such as steaks and turkey, into separate shopping cycles. This allows us to eat great food- and even the spending each pay check. Afterall, this is all about saving money as well as your sanity.

Using the system.

After I put together my meal plan and sorted out my squares- it was time to get crafty. I began with 4 sheets of 12"x12" cardstock and created a grid system. I cut 3 of  the papers to 6.25"x10.75" and the final piece to 3.25"x10.75". I drew in grid lines to separate my menu squares so that I had 2 rows of 7. Begin from the bottom up on the larger pieces of paper- you'll note that on the smaller piece, there is room for exactly 14 squares and a boarder edge.

I covered all of my menu squares and grids with clear contact paper (I call it cheap crafter's laminate.) It really helps keep it firm and long lasting. It also helps with the next step, which is placing all your squares onto their grid pages. I use reusable wall putty, which comes by lots of names and is rather inexpensive and found everywhere. A small bit of it on the back of each square and you can move your pieces around with ease.

This is helpful particularly with the lunch menu- as I didn't want to create separate weeks, but I hide my extra choices on the back.

Now, after all your menus have been planned, sorted and organzied, you should have a collection that looks similar to this:

42 organized dinner meals, 5-7 breakfasts foods and a supply of lunch ideas. Dinner meals are contained on 3 rotatable cards and can be moved about as needed.

Now, what to do with them? Mine hang up next our family calendar. I used 2 3M Mini Wall Hooks, evenly spaced on the wall, and hole punched my cards so they hung up. Notice breakfast and lunch hand above the dinner meals- and the other dinner plans hand behind the one in use.

What I love about my system is that I have complete freedom of choice- no matter how much you may be thinking otherwise. Looking at my plan, I have 14 choices to choose from. All foods that I know my family and I love to eat. This means that I know my kitchen is stocked to prepare these meals, so when I want them- I can make them. No further thought required. I can pick and choose from my choices depending upon my mood and know that everything will be there as needed.

When it comes time to making lunches, fixing breakfast and grocery shopping... I don't have to think. All the thinking is already done- now, I'm free to fix the meals and move on. It is a rather liberating thing. Also, after a few times around... you can reuse shopping lists. Print them up on the computer- adjust as you learn the method... and congratulations- shopping lists come pre-fashioned as well. I'm not sure about you- but for me? This is a HUGE time saver. Sure, I have to add toiletries and such... but that's nothing when compared to trying to recreate meal ideas and plan for dinner in your head. Having everything laid out for me to work around is more than a relief to my already busy day.

I have other projects that need that time and mind space, thank you very much.



**Special Note- if you become bored with your rotations, change it up. If you come across new recipes- add them in! You don't have to become completely fixed to the system once it is in place... but you'll love it just the same.***

Ninja Waffles *drool*

One of my very good friends turned me on to a waffle recipe so amazing, they have been dubbed "Ninja Waffles." They'll be consumed so quickly- you won't even see them disappear. They swipe in with their super goodness and make children AND mom's happy.

Yup- they really are THAT awesome. Lucky for my followers, I'm going to share the secret of the Ninja Waffle with you. Enjoy them, pass the recipe on and live in awe of the greatness that is, Ninja.

First off- this recipe makes quite a few waffles. I have an 8" round waffle iron and I get about 18-20 waffles. (actually, I have 2 8" round waffle irons... because I make these regularly and it helps to make 2 at a time.) But, no worries about the extras- they freeze up wonderfully, toast up perfectly under the broiler in less than 2 minutes, and are a PERFECT on the go breakfast food for the whole family.

See why they are so amazing? Kiss those silly little premade store waffles goodbye. These bad boys are filling and are full of good for you stuffs... just don't tell the family, they'll be weirded out.


To begin: You'll need 4 cups of buttermilk. If you're like me, you do not usually keep buttermilk on hand. The substitute is far too easy of an alternative to mess with keeping more stuff in the fridge. In your big mixing cup- add 4 tablespoons of lemon juice before measuring your milk... then, fill up to the proper amount. *this works anytime you need buttermilk- it is a 1 tablespoon to 1 cup ratio* Stir really well and let sit off to the side for 10-15 minutes.

Next you'll be mixing your dry ingredients into a big mixing bowl:

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger (a must!)
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/3 cup milled flax seed

In a medium sized mixing bowl, melt 1/2 cup butter. Stir in 1/4 cup brown sugar until well dissolved. The more you allow the sugar to dissolve into the butter, the easier it'll be to incorporate the mix into your dry ingredients. As you can see, I use a fork.

Combine 1 tablespoon of vanilla to the butter/sugar mix. Then mix in 6 large eggs- ensuring they are well blended. Slowly combine your soured milk mixture while stirring the mix so the sugar does not settle back to the bottom.

Slowly pour wet ingredients into the dry bowl. Mix well.

At this glorious point- think of your batter as a blank canvas. You can pretty much add anything YOU are willing to eat. Nuts, chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, fruit and seeds all come to mind. I will personally add that the peanut butter chips are my number one. However on this occasion I added 3 cups of blueberries to the batter. *when adding fruit, you will need to grease your iron more often* The results are just so darn yummy...

As I stated above, these freeze REALLY well. As I pull them from the iron, they cool completely on my cookie rack. Then I stack them 3 high and place them in the freezer until frozen solid. I then store them in groups of 6 in gallon sized ziplock bags. They MUST be cooled before going into the freezer and they cannot be stacked very high. The taller the stack, the heavier they are... the heavier they are- the more the bottoms ones get squished while freezing. If they squish together, they'll be harder to get apart in the morning... and if you're anything like me, you do not need any added stress to your morning routine. So, just make sure those wonderful tasty treats are frozen solid before stacking them too tall.

In the morning, or afternoon, or late at night... when you are ready for a waffle, turn your oven on to broil and put the rack up high- pull out however many waffles you need, and lay them under the heat. Keep an eye on them, it doesn't take long... less than a minute! Flip once (twice sometimes... if you feel a cool spot) and you're READY!


Trust me... you'll love me for this recipe. So, you're welcome.